Kay:

Hey there Questers! Now, if any of you have been with us for a while, you might remember this. Because, today’s quote is a #DisneyDrop! That’s right…Today’s quote comes from the Disney film, Lilo and Stitch! And, in the movie, Lilo and Stitch say, “Ohana means family. And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

Shi:

I mean, of course we love this quote because we’re family!

Kay:

Well, we are sisters 😉

Shi:

And, we think you guys know that by now! But, there is so much more to this term family than first meets the ear…

Kay:

Well, many of us think about family and we think of the people that we were born to, or the people who picked us up early along the way. We think about this in the traditional sense of “family”. And then, some of you have even expanded your thinking on family into your chosen family, friend family, and work family.

Shi:

To ALL the different people that you feel a close kinship with or relationship with! And hopefully, if you’re lucky like us, you feel that way towards your blood related, close kin, mom and dad. But, so many of us develop this kinship with others around us as well. And, what this quote really tells us is that “family” means no one gets left behind or forgotten. And, aren’t there people that you wouldn’t leave behind or forget that aren’t necessarily related to you?

Kay:

Yep! And now, let’s even expand that a little bit wider and talk about that human family. I mean, we all belong to a species called human, and whether you are from California or from Kalamazoo, we are all human beings. Which makes us a part of a family – in the animal kingdom – of a genus called homos! And, we are this singular homogeneous, the homoerectus. We are at the ones who stand up. And, we are, as humanity, a kind of a FAMILY!

Shi:

There’s that level of kinship there – through spirit, shared ancestry, and shared history. And, you know, the Bible says he came from one person. And so, I think it’s really part of our narrative to be a human family and to see us as unified in that way. And that’s that sense of community! And, you know…the human family has gotten pretty dang BIG!

Kay:

It sure has! And, of course, there’s factions. And we see lots of people caring about their immediate family, but also their regional human family, their state-level human family, their human race family…We see a lot of ways that people stand up for the human family that goes beyond just those people that you know. But then, there’s an even BIGGER family than that to talk about! Because, remember, NO ONE gets left behind or forgotten…So, we can’t forget about our LIFE family. Which are all the other organisms out there! In other words…do you respect trees? And, do you do your part for the environment? And, are you a part of the life family? You know…because earth is kind of part of our family too…And, if she dies, we ALL die!

Shi:

Right?! We all have this shared condition of being filled with some kind of force, rhythm, and energy that creates a connection between organisms, the big and the small, and the macro and the micro. And we’re ALL part of it. And so, we’re not saying no rock left behind, or that you have to immediately stop squishing spiders….Although Kay and I have both started moving in the directions of trying to kill bugs less….But, it does mean that maybe we should start thinking about how we are including and continuing our relationships that matter to us, and the ones that we would consider Ohana.

Kay:

So, when we’re considering Ohana, it gives us the opportunity to put family into action. And, both Lilo and Stitch use this as sticking points to each other. As you may know, it’s when Stitch is trying to run away from Lilo, that she reminds him that he is her Ohana, and her family. And so, it helps stick him to her. And then, at the end she’s trying to leave him behind. And so, HE says Ohana means family. And so, it’s this sticking-point-type-of-action that is really what it takes to build a society, place, or life, where you’re caring about others, and you don’t feel left behind or forgotten in return.

Shi:

‘Cause don’t forget: what you put out, you get back. And so, by including others, by respecting others, by working in tandem with others, and by doing your best to see the good in others…So shall it come back to you! And then, you really DO feel included. And when you can feel included, and you feel like you truly belong, we’re all happier! We’re social beings, and that is just how we are. We are literally wired to have to be around others, and depend on others. And so, whether big or small, I was happy that we got to celebrate ohana today 🙂

Kay:

Me too! SO – in the beautiful Hawaiian language Ohana means family, and family means that no one gets left behind or forgotten!

Shi:

And, your quest today is to ask yourself: Is there someone in your community that could use a little more Ohana during this time? Find a small way to honor your Ohana today! Whether you want to honor your mother, your kids, your friend-family, or do something nice for the earth…find some way to give a little extra to one of your Ohanas today!

Kay:

Thanks everyone, and happy questing!